1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for conveying bottles, especially plastic bottles, between and/or within treatment or other stations, with the bottles each having an annular bead on the neck of the bottle. A conveyer line, which extends over the respectively desired conveying path, is provided with a bottle carrier that extends along the conveying path, extends below the bead on the neck of the bottle, and conveys the bottles in a suspended state, via the bead, with play, through a guide slot that extends along the conveying path. The conveyer line is also provided with mechanisms for providing the bottles with a feed movement for conveying them.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With conveying apparatus of this type, such as disclosed, for example, in the company publication "NEU VOUS INFORME SUR LE JETSTREAM" of ETABLISSEMENTS NEU, F-59700 MARCQ-EN-BAROEUL, pneumatic conveying mechanisms are provided for the bottles. For this purpose, these heretofore known conveying apparatus are provided on the underside of the conveyer line with two plastic guide strips that, as bottle carriers, extend parallel to one another and extend below the bead on the neck of the bottle. A channel-like hollow space, which is supplied with conveying air, is formed above the plastic strip in the housing of the conveyer line. That portion of the bottle neck that extends above the bead projects into this hollow space. The conveying air is supplied to this channel via nozzles that are mounted in the side walls of the channel. However, these known apparatus for pneumatically conveying plastic bottles are deficient in that the feed speed of the bottles over the length of the conveying path is subjected to unavoidable fluctuations. As a result, successive bottles can strike against one another, for example in the exit region.
Even though with plastic bottles this striking against one another does not cause any great danger of breakage, nevertheless considerable noise results and the surfaces of the bottles become scratched. Furthermore, with these known pneumatic conveying apparatus, air noise and loss of conveying air cannot be avoided, because conveying air constantly escapes through the guide slot formed between the guide strips. For many applications, pneumatic conveying is also unsuitable because dust and bacteria are carried into the respective spaces along with the conveying air. To avoid these last-mentioned drawbacks, air filters that are used often tend to become clogged, making them ineffective. In addition, such air filters represent additional consumption of energy.
In contrast, it is an object of the present invention to considerably improve a bottle-conveying apparatus of the aforementioned general type in such a way that a uniform feed speed and sensitive control or regulation of the conveying speed is assured, a striking of the bottles against one another and generation of noise is avoided, and the short comings caused by pneumatic conveying means are eliminated.